For the second time in five nights, the Lady Highlanders basketball team defeated Nantahala on Tuesday night.
Highlands cruised to a 63-15 victory on Valentine’s Day in the opening round of the Little Smoky Mountain 1-A Conference tournament. Highlands will play Hiwassee Dam in the championship game on Thursday at Nantahala.
“We’ve hit a stretch where we’ve been playing some pretty good basketball and the hope is to keep that going through the conference tournament and into the state playoffs,” Lady Highlanders’ coach Brett Lamb said. “The conference tournament is tough because you are seeing teams a third time. There’s no secrets, they know what we do and we know what they do, so it’s a matter of going out and executing.”
Each year the conference tournament rotates sites in alphabetical order. Nantahala is hosting in 2023, which creates a unique neutral site for the conference championship games – neither of which will feature the home team.
“Nantahala is a trek, but rotating sites is the only fair way to handle the tournament,” Lamb said. “Next year we will play at Blue Ridge and then be back in Highlands for 2025.”
Highlands (17-6 overall) will likely play a home game in the opening round of the NC High School Athletic Association 1-A state playoffs on Tuesday.
Boys’ basketball
Highlands 66, Blue Ridge 41
Highlands claimed its third win of the season over Blue Ridge in the opening round of the conference tournament at Nantahala on Tuesday.
The Highlanders advance to play Hiwassee Dam on Thursday night in the championship game. After improving to a 7-15 record, there is a chance the Highlanders could have their name called when the NCHSAA 1-A state playoff brackets are released on Saturday.
“Our boys are kind of on the borderline as to whether they will get in or not, but it’s definitely possible, especially if they win on Thursday,” Lamb said. “We just have to wait and see.”